Jim Kammerer has said his neighbor’s choice to let part of the yard grow wild is a nuisance, but Anderson
Township zoning officials don’t see it that way. LISA WAKELAND/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

When is tall grass
in Anderson OK?
lwakeland@communitypress.com

How tall can the grass and
vegetation grow in an Anderson
Township yard?
When does letting part of the
property return to a more natural state become a nuisance?
Are there specific requirements for yard maintenance?
The answer to those questions depends both on who you
ask and the interpretation of
laws for abating nuisances.
This issue recently reared its
head in a dispute between
neighboring properties, but it’s
more common across the community than one might suspect,
said Paul Drury, Anderson
Township’s planning and zoning
director.
Anderson Township uses the
definitions and rules outlined in
the Ohio Revised Code to handle
any nuisance complaints. The
law doesn’t specifically say tall
grass – it uses the catch-all term
vegetation – nor does it set
height limits or specify front,
side or rear yard.
“There is room for interpretation, but this statute allows
township trustees to declare a
property a nuisance and abate
that nuisance,” he said.
“We make a professional opinion, and (a nuisance) is determined on a case-by-case basis.”
This particular case centers
around two homes that share a

THE SECTION IN QUESTION
What are the rules governing nuisances in townships and what are
the options for officials to take action?
This neighbor dispute revolves around this specific section (505.87) of
the Ohio Revised Code.
(A) A board of township trustees may provide for the abatement,
control, or removal of vegetation, garbage, refuse, and other debris
from land in the township, if the board determines that the owner’s
maintenance of that vegetation, garbage, refuse, or other debris constitutes a nuisance.
The rest of this law details the legal course of action for notification,
continuing violations and abatement regulations.

side and back yard property
line.
Jim Kammerer, who lives on
Forestcrest Way, is not happy
with the way his neighbors have
let part of the backyard grow
wild. He said he never spoke to
his neighbor about his concerns, but has complained multiple times and asked the township to declare it a nuisance.
“I pay good money to have
our lawn mowed and maintained, and it is upsetting to see
uncut grass next to my property,” Kammerer said.
“If it was in the front yard it
would be a nuisance, but because it’s in the backyard it’s not
considered a nuisance. It makes
no sense … and it seems like
they’re (enforcing this) selectively.”
But Gayle Sherman, who
owns the home on Clough Pike
that backs up to Kammerer’s
yard, said it was a conscious de-

cision to let that part of their
yard return to a more natural
state.
“We mow quite a bit of our
yard and it’s only partially naturalized,” she said. “About three
years ago, we investigated (the
options) and it was something
we thought was appropriate for
us. We did not believe we were
in violation of anything.”
She said it was a personal
choice, and they checked local
laws before letting the area
grow.
After
Kammerer
complained about this, township officials came to check out the
property, and he said they told
him there was an “unwritten
law” that allows people not to
mow backyards if they desire.
His concern is that this could
lead to more people deciding
not to mow their grass, which he
See GRASS, Page A2

FOOD

CONVERSION

Freeze those garden
tomatoes for winter
using Rita’s recipe for
roasted tomatoes.
Full story, A7

A former billiards hall
may eventually be
converted into a health
facility.
Full story, A3

Metro tweaks
some local
bus routes

By Lisa Wakeland

lwakeland@communitypress.com

Bus riders in Anderson
Township and Mt. Washington
will have to get used to a new
route.
Metro on Aug. 18 implemented several changes to
Route 24, which runs between
the Anderson Center Station
on Five Mile Road and Government Square downtown.
The loop that goes from
Beechmont Avenue down Salem Road and Burney Lane
will was eliminated, said Anderson Township Assistant
Administrator Steve Sievers.
Metro said on its website
the new transit plan would improve frequency, efficiency
and offer more service options
in major travel corridors.
Rob Johnson, who rides the

bus from Mt. Washington to
his job downtown, said he understands why they cut some
sections and said they could alter other routes to cut down on
the hour-long ride between
east side neighborhoods to
downtown.
“Once you get toward Walnut Hills and that area there
are lots of little streets where
they stop but no one gets on,”
he said.
But Kemit Williams, who
works in Mt. Washington, said
cutting loops like Burney and
Salem would make it more difficult for some people to get
the bus.
“It’s a long ride, but I don’t
think they should do that,” she
said.
Metro earlier this year had
See METRO, Page A2

Mt. Washington resident Bill Evans boards the Route 24 line outside
the Kroger on the corner of Beechmont Avenue and Corbly
Street.LISA WAKELAND/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

proposed Route 24 stopping near the University
of Cincinnati and making
riders transfer to continue downtown, but that
is no longer part of the upcoming changes.
Williams said she usually rides the bus to UC,
but sometimes goes to
downtown Cincinnati, and
those changes would have
made her trip even more
difficult.
“It’s kind of hard to get
out here because the buses come (less often),” she
said.
Other changes along

» Hamilton County – A
1-mill, 10-year tax levy renewal for the Public Library of Cincinnati.

Route 24 include modifying the loop around Wolfangel and State roads,
near Mercy Hospital and
the Anderson Township library branch.
That portion of the
route will stay, Sievers
said, but buses will not
come back around the
same loop and will instead
leave from the Anderson
Towne Center shopping
area to head west down

Beechmont Avenue.
Sievers said they’re
working with the Kroger
store to make a temporary bus stop and waiting
area along Towne Center
Way, which connects the
Anderson Center Station,
7832 Five Mile Road, to
Beechmont Avenue and
Wolfangel Road.
Metro previously considered closing the parkand-ride at the township

operations center, 7954
Beechmont Ave., for the
Route 75 Express line and
eliminating the Route 30
Express
neighborhood
loop that extends along
Beechmont Avenue and
serves Eight Mile Road,
Clough Pike and Nagel
Road.
Neither of those two
routes, nor the 81 Express
that serves Salem Road, is
part of the new changes.

Grass

“It’s a judgment call
and we take it on a caseby-case basis. There is
huge move toward sustainability … and sometimes the preference is
not to have a manicured
yard.”
This situation echoes a
handful of others around
the township where two
opposing neighborhoods
collide, and these issues
most often arise when
there are older homes on
larger lots sharing property lines with newer,
higher density subdivisions, Drury said.
And that’s what is happening here.
“This house has been in

my husband’s family
since the 1950s and the
house was there long before Forestcrest,” Sherman said.
“It is just a matter of
choice … and I don’t consider it a controversy.”
Because of the law’s
lack of specificity, Drury
said the character of the
neighborhood definitely
plays a role in what is considered a nuisance.
While township staff
evaluates complaints, it is
ultimately up to the Board
of Trustees to decide
whether a property is a
nuisance and take action.

Mayor, city of Cincinnati

Continued from Page A1

said would lead to many
nuisance
complaints
across Anderson Township.
But Drury countered
that it’s not so much an unwritten law as there is not
a specific mandate regulating vegetation.
“There is nothing (in
the law) that prohibits you
from growing grass tall,
and one of the main reasons why we don’t have a
specific height limit is because everywhere is not
the same,” he said.

MT. WASHINGTON — A
former billiards hall may
eventually be converted
into a health facility.
HealthSource of Ohio,
which is a privately
owned community health
center, moved into the
Beechcrest Center in
May.
HealthSource owns the
building at 2020 Beechmont Ave.
Anderson Hills Family
Chiropractic is currently
a tenant at the site. A portion of the building,
though, still remains vacant.
“We wanted to open in a
timely fashion,” said Lisa
Jackson, vice president of
marketing and development for HealthSource.
HealthSource had begun renovations of the
former Lisa’s Billiards
and Brew at the Beechcrest Center, but considering the extent of the
renovations opted to open
in the former Curves
which is located in the
same building.

“I think within 8 to 10
months we will occupy the
space at Lisa’s Billiards,
but we are entertaining
tenants right now, especially in the medical
field,” said Jackson.
She said the space
which Lisa’s Billiards previously occupied has been
gutted.
The Beechmont Avenue location is the first
HealthSource facility in
Hamilton County. HealthSource operates a number
of facilities throughout
southwest Ohio.
“The community was
happy to have that building returned to some use,”
said Jake Williams, former board president of
the Mt. Washington Community Council and a
member of council’s Economic Development Committee.
“We hope they can be a
good neighbor and viable
part of the community.”
HealthSource is also
involved in a partnership
with Mt. Washington
School.

HealthSource of Ohio opened in the Beechcrest Center on
Beechmont Avenue in May. HealthSource, which owns the
building at the site, is considering its options for a portion
of the building which was a former billiards hall.

Taste of Mission is 6-10
p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at
the Comboni Mission Center, 1318 Nagel Road, in
Anderson Township.
This event feature food
and drinks from different
countries, live performances, art and other activities.

Pancake breakfasts

American Legion Post
318 is hosting pancake
breakfasts from 8:30 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. the first Sunday of every month.
Breakfasts include allyou-can-eat
pancakes,

customers approximately one month before inspectors are scheduled
to be in an area.
If no one is home when
inspectors arrive a door
hanger will be left instructing customers to
call 866-609-9864 to
schedule an appointment.
Southern Cross Co.
employees will carry
photo ID cards at all
times; wear yellow safety vests with their logo;
and have signage on their
vehicles identifying the
company.
Customers may also
call 800-544-6900.

Jefferson Burroughs, MD, FACC, is
not only a cardiologist with Mercy
Health – The Heart Institute, he’s also
a neighbor, parent and friend living and
working on the east side of Cincinnati. In fact, all
four of his children attended Anderson High School.
Like all Mercy Health providers, Dr. Burroughs is
dedicated to caring for the community in which he

How’s Your

Bath Tub?

and his family live. He is one of more
than 9,000 physicians and employees
who live and work in neighborhoods in
Greater Cincinnati and its surrounding
areas, delivering advanced, compassionate care
to help you be well, right where you live. To ﬁnd a
Mercy Health Primary Care Physician or Specialist,
visit e-mercy.com/physicians or call 513-981-2222.

Duke Energy, through
its vendor, The Southern
Cross Co., will conduct
mandatory interior gas
meter and line inspections in area homes and
small businesses.
Inspections will take
place between 8 a.m. and
8 p.m. and will run
through early October.
The inspections maintain compliance with federal pipeline regulations
and help ensure Duke
Energy is able to deliver
natural gas to its customers in a safe and reliable
manner.
The Southern Cross
Co. will attempt to call

Mercy Health
Physicians Welcomes
Michelle Federer, DO, FACOOG
to East Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Federer is board certiﬁed in
Obstetrics and Gynecology. She completed her residency at Doctors
Hospital, Columbus, Ohio and graduated from Ohio University College
of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Federer has been practicing for almost a decade. Her additional
specialties and certiﬁcations include:

By Forrest Sellers
ANDERSON TWP. — Harrison Hill recently got a
taste of leadership.
Hill, who will be a
freshman at Anderson
High School this fall, attended a National Young
Leaders Conference in
June.
“I learned a lot about
how our government
works and what each (legislative) branch is allowed
to do,” said Hill, who is a
resident of Anderson
Township.
Hill was chosen to be a
member of the Congressional Youth Leadership
Council following a nomination by one of his teachers at Nagel Middle
School. Students in the
council were among those
who attended the conference.

While at the conference, Hill attended sessions focusing on Congressional voting and
presidential
decisionmaking.
Hill said a highlight for
him was visiting some of
the Washington landmarks such as Capitol Hill
and the Lincoln Memorial.
“It was mesmerizing,”
he said about the experience.
Hill raised his own
funds to attend the conference. He raised $1,800
through donations and
personal wages.
He said the trip left a
lasting impression on
him. “We have the ability
to make a difference,” he
said. “We have a voice.”
Hill will make a presentation to other freshmen about his experience.

Suburban districts
release their own
‘report cards’
Gannett News Service

A first time, local report card was recently released by some Southwest
Ohio suburban districts is
designed to give a broader
picture of schools than
provided by the state.
The
self-generated
evaluations, which are
separate from Ohio’s annual school ratings, list 10
categories ranging from
academics to parent and
community involvement
in 16 local school systems
serving nearly 100,000
area students.
Officials among the coalition of districts say
state report cards only
show inadequate “snapshots” of a school’s or district’s overall performance.
Dallas Jackson, Forest
Hills Local School District superintendent, said
“more than a year ago, I
sat down with a group of
like-minded superintendents to discuss how we

might better communicate to our communities a
more complete picture of
our school districts.”
“Annually, the state report card offers a ‘snapshot’ of what’s happening
in our schools based on
the outcome of state testing and analysis of other
data such as demographics and socioeconomic
factors,” said Jackson.
Forest Hills officials
tout their students’ SAT
and ACT average scores
and point out their higher
totals to national averages.
Most of the 16 districts
scored either “excellent
with distinction” or “excellent” in the 2011-2012
state ratings.
The Coalition of Academic Standards of Excellence or CASE, expanded
in the last year from its
original 10 members in
2012 to 16 suburban Cincinnati school systems in
Hamilton, Butler, Warren
and Clermont counties.

Ursuline students are
inducted into Spanish
Honor Society
Twenty Ursuline students in
the Spanish class of Blanca Risdon of Fairfield, were inducted
into the Spanish Honor Society
Nov. 13.
The new members are Ana
Aguilar of Loveland, Brenna
Barber of Mason, Monica Bockhorst of Loveland, Camille Borders of Mason, Sarah Connaughton of Sharonville, Erin
George of Mason, Katie Georgopoulos of Springfield Township, Hannah Hoffer of Maineville, Paige Kebe of Loveland,
Fatima Khalid of Mason, Shannon Kronenberger of Kenwood,
Kayla McCarthy of Maineville,
Susan Morand of Loveland, Sarah Reilly of Hyde Park, Caroline Smith of Montgomery, Kelly Spiller of Liberty Township,

Diana Suarez of Mason, Elizabeth Tyger of Mason, Lauren
Vesprani of Finneytown and
Elizabeth Zappia of Miami
Township.
Cate Brinker (president) of
Anderson Township and Ellen
Hinkley (co-president) of Indian Hill, who were inducted last
year, presided the induction
ceremony.
According to Risdon, membership into the Spanish Honor
Society is by invitation of the
Ursuline Spanish teachers, who
have the sole responsibility for
the Society and its by-laws.
Membership is based on the
honor average in Spanish of Afor three consecutive semesters of study and that the students be of good character as

defined by the handbook of Ursuline Academy.
The Honor Society students
must demonstrate enthusiasm
and continued interest in the
Spanish language and the Spanish-speaking people of the
world. In addition, the students
must pay yearly dues to help
support the Society’s “adopted”
child in a Spanish-speaking
country.
Risdon said, “We sponsor a
child in Guatemala through
Children International, and the
students write her letters for
her birthday, for Christmas and
Easter,” adding that there will
be other community service opportunities during the school
year for the students to participate in.

Thirty-six
individual
awards have been earned by
23 Ursuline students in the
The Scholastic Art Awards.
The students submitted a
sampling of their work completed in visual arts courses
during the last calendar year.
Their pieces were entered in
categories that included
sculpture, drawing, printmaking and photography.
The students were recognized with an honorable mention (works demonstrating artistic potential), silver key
(works worthy of recognition
on the regional level) or gold
key (the highest level of
achievement on the regional
level); gold key works are forwarded to New York City for
national adjudication.
Students who received all
of these distinctions were invited to show their work at the
Scholastics Gallery at 100 W.
RiverCenter Blvd., Covington. The show will run from
Feb. 8-22, and students in the
show will be honored at an
awards ceremony Feb. 22 at
the Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Gold Key Award winners are: Ashley Albrinck of
Evendale and Ashley Driscoll
of Loveland (three awards);
Cate Brinker of Anderson
Township, Maddie Graumlich
of Terrace Park and Tori
Heyob of Green Township.
The Silver Key Award winners are: Becca Allen of West
Chester Township, Maddie
Graumlich of Terrace Park,
Rachel Kuprionis of Mason,
Helen Ladrick of Anderson
Township, Corinne Lauderback of Liberty Township, Rachel Neltner of Finneytown,
Maddie Nurre of West Chester Township and Angie Pan of
Evendale (two awards).

The honorable mention
award winners are: Becca Allen of West Chester Township,
Allison Brady of Union Township, Cate Brinker of Anderson Township, Ashley Driscoll
of Loveland, Jennifer Duma of
Montgomery, Maddie Graumlich of Terrace Park, Michala
Grycko of Evendale, Ali Hackman of Sycamore Township
(two awards), Clair Hopper of
Anderson Township, Rachel
Neltner of Finneytown, Maggie O’Brien of Loveland, Angie Pan of Evendale (three
awards), Molly Paz of Felicity,
Spencer Peppet of Terrace
Park, Julia Proctor of Loveland, Kelly Spiller of Liberty
Township and Jenny Whang of
Sycamore Township.
“The Scholastic Art Award
recognition is significant to
each student because their
creativity is recognized in the
context of a prestigious regional/national awards program that is actually celebrating its 90th anniversary this
year. We are very proud of our
students’ outstanding accomplishments and dedication to
the arts. This broader affirmation will only bolster greater creative energy and enthusiasm,” fine arts department
coordinator Patrice Trauth
said.
Fellow art teacher Jeanine
Boutiere concurs.
“To see our budding artists
interpret their world in a way
that is technically superior
and showcases their aesthetic
intelligence makes all of us in
the art department proud. We
congratulate each of our 23
recognized young women and
celebrate their achievements
in the visual arts.”
The other teachers in the
fine arts department are Amy
Burton and Helen Rindsberg.

graduated from McNicholas High
School, will be attending St. John’s
University in New York this fall on
academic scholarships.
Schmidt who plans on majoring in
architecture and
minoring in political science, was
awarded three
annual scholarships
for five years.
His scholarships
include the “Scholastic Excellence
Scholarship,”
awarded annually
Schmidt
in the amount of
$21,000; the “Dean’s List Scholarship,” awarded annually in the
amount of $3,000; the “Catholic High
School Service Scholarship,” awarded
annually in the amount of $2,500.
The scholarships will cover 75 percent
of his annual tuition.
Schmidt also was awarded the “Stowe
Art For Life Scholarship” in the
amount of $500 from McNicholas
High School.

Health / Wellness
Partnerships in Motion: A
Renaissance in Aging, 5:307:30 p.m., Hyde Park Health
Center, 4001 Rosslyn Drive,
Terrace Auditorium. For those
caring for an aging parent or
relative or wondering what’s
next in life nearing retirement.
Explore partnership as an approach to create vitality, satisfaction and workability in aging.
With Molly Prues of VistaLynk

On Stage - Theater
Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m., Anderson
Center, 7850 Five Mile Road,
Show is set in Indian territory at
the turn of the century when
cattlemen and farmers were
fighting over fences and water
rights. $12. 497-5200; brieabiproductions.com. Anderson
Township.

This is a free-flowing artery thanks to tPA. It may look like modern
art, but it’s a lifesaver.
tPA is a drug that breaks up blood clots, keeps arteries flowing
and helps limit the damaging effects of a stroke. Today, thousands
of neurologists all over the world use tPA, but the discovery
happened right here in Cincinnati at the University of Cincinnati
Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. We continue to
pioneer breakthroughs in science so we can perfect the art of
saving lives.
To learn more, visit uchealth.com/stroke
or call (866) 941-8264.

ABOUT CALENDAR
To submit calendar items, go to www.cincinnati.com and click
on “Share!” Send digital photos to life@communitypress.com
along with event information. Items are printed on a spaceavailable basis with local events taking precedence.
Deadline is two weeks before publication date. To find more
calendar events, go to www.cincinnati.com and choose from a
menu of items in the Entertainment section on the main page.
homemade products, bakery
goods, organic meats, food
trucks, fair trade coffee and
more. Rain or shine. Special
features include entertainment
and seasonal events for children.
Family friendly. 688-8400;
www.andersonfarmersmarket.org. Anderson Township.

Preserve
summer taste
by roasting
tomatoes
As I’ve mentioned
before, I know when a
recipe hits a chord with
readers by the amount of
response it generates
long after
it’s published.
This is
particularly true of
seasonal
recipes,
like roasted tomaRita
toes.
Heikenfeld
This
RITA’S KITCHEN
recipe is
slightly different from
one I shared last year.
Tomatoes are in season
right now and the homegrown/best are abundant
at farmers’ markets.
As for me, my tomatoes are the best I’ve
ever grown and since
most of them are the
indeterminate type, they
keep bearing all season
long. I’m not even begrudging the groundhogs
eating their share, there’s
that many! When I do
find veggies and fruit
that have been bitten into
by Mother Nature’s clan,
I just cut them up and
feed them to my girls
(my chickens). They
make a quick meal of
them,
Tomatoes are full of
lycopene, which is good
for our hearts, men’s
prostates and our immune system. Plus the
yellow and orange tomatoes have just as much
nutrition as their red
counterparts.

Roasted regular-size
tomatoes with
herbs (or not)
Preheat oven to 400425 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half. Lay either
cut side up or down (I
laid mine cut side down
but next time will lay
them cut side up since I
think that will keep more
of the tomato flavor in).
Drizzle with olive oil and
sprinkle on any herbs
you like – basil, thyme,
rosemary all work well.
But be sure and chop
them up fine. I also like
to add salt and pepper.
Roast until skins start to
look spotty if you are
roasting skin side up.
Otherwise, roast until
tomatoes look wrinkled
and are soft.

Let cool and, if you
like, remove skins. The
first time I made them I
didn’t remove the skins,
but when I used them in
cooked dishes they were
a little tough. My suggestion is to remove them or
put them in the blender
or food processor and the
skins will process small
enough. You will wind up
with more of a puree if
you put them through the
blender or food processor, but the bonus is you
get the nutritious benefits of the skin. Freeze in
desired quantities.

Roasted cherry
tomatoes with
herbs and garlic
This is nice since everything is mixed in a
boil and then just poured
onto a sprayed pan to
roast. Delicious as a side
dish and, if you want to
freeze them, you can
either leave the skins on
(they may be a bit tough)
or puree them as directed above. Now you can
also roast these plain,
with just a sprinkling of
salt and pepper and oil.
Preheat oven to 400425 degrees. For every
pint of cherry or grape
tomatoes, add a teaspoon
of minced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil to coat
nicely, and salt and pepper. Just mix this up in a
bowl. If you have any
herbs, again like basil,
thyme or rosemary, chop
up fine and add to taste.
Pour onto sprayed baking
pan and roast until skins
look spotty and a bit
puffy, about 20 minutes.

Cook potatoes with
skin on: cover with cold
water and a dash of salt.
Bring to boil, reduce
heat, cover and cook just
until tender, about 15
minutes. Drain and cool
so that you can cut them
into thick slices. Preheat
oven to 375 degrees.
Put slices in single
layer on sprayed baking
sheets. Sprinkle each
with the dressing mix,
jalapeños, and the
cheeses. Bake uncovered
for 8-10 minutes or until
cheese melts. Dollop with
sour cream and onions or
chives.

Non-profit communities established
tablished by
the Southeastern Ecumenical Ministry

Rita Nader Heikenfeld is an
herbalist, educator and author. Find her blog online at
Cincinnati.Com/blogs. Email
her at columns@communitypress.com with “Rita’s
kitchen” in the subject line.
Call 513-248-7130, ext. 356.

Senior Apartments
(513) 248-0126 • 203 Mount Avenue
MILFORD, OH

CE-0000551796

www.semcommunities.org

IN

THE DOC TOR IS

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

For Bart L., who likes
this spicy appetizer at
restaurants but wants to
make them at home. By
boiling potatoes first,
they bake up really nice
in the oven. And the secret ingredient that
makes these so different? Ranch dressing!

Beware of phone scam from a ‘deputy’
I have been a resident of
Anderson Township for the last
8 years. Recently, somebody
wanted to scam me, and I
wanted to make you aware of
this incident.
On Wednesday, July 10, I
received a call on my answering machine from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office
from an individual by the name
Rapidy Watson (batch # 4927).
The call came from a private
number.
It stated that there was a
federal crime warrant out
against me and my wife and
asked me to call Officer Thomas O’Brien. It also mentioned
that if I didn’t respond to the
message duty officers were

Sugata
Chakravarti
COMMUNITY PRESS
GUEST COLUMNIST

11.

going to come
execute the
warrant and
arrest me at
my place of
residence or
work place. So
I called the
number that
was left in the
voicemail the
following day,
Thursday, July

The person who answered
gave me his name as Daniel
Marshal (batch id # 0638). He
asked me about my phone
number and informed me that
I’ve called the federal crime
bureau in Manhattan, NY.

Should U.S. lawmakers and
their staffs continue to receive a
federal contribution toward the
health insurance that they must
purchase through soon-to-open
exchanges created by President
Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law to prevent the largely
unintended loss of healthcare
benefits for 535 members of the
Senate and House of Representatives and thousands of Capitol
Hill staff. Why or why not?

“Yes. Everyone scheduled to
receive a contribution from employers should still receive that
contribution, no matter for
whom they work.
“If the conservatives and
Obama-haters would just give it
a chance they’d see all the good
that the Affordable Care Act
can accomplish instead of trying to repeal it 40 more times in
Congress.
“It’s meant to help the poor
and uninsured just like the New
Deal back 70-odd years ago during the Great Depression.”
TRog

“Although it would be nice if
making lawmakers pay for
their own health care would
bring their attention to the
plight of most Americans, the
cost of their personal insurance
is chump change compared to
the campaign contributions
they get from the special interests in the medical field.
“Since Citizen’s United it’s a
free-for-all for rich individuals
and corporations. The only
thing holding some of the worst
of them back is the sheer impracticality of most of their
ideas.
“What would work better is if
more citizen voters would pay
more attention to how some of
these creeps in Columbus and
Washington vote, and give them
unlimited vacation time at the
next election.
“Unfortunately with the
media breaking into venues,
which allow people to get the
news they want as opposed to
the news that is actually true,
we’re going to have an uphill
battle getting any sort of consensus on public health in our
nation.
“Fortunately, the Affordable
Care Act is already cutting
costs for many of us, and even if
it doesn’t solve the bigger problems it will set the stage for continued dialogue.”
N.F.

“Kind of a moot question.
The Congress will do whatever

NEXT QUESTION
Should the U.S. continue to
provide financial and military
aid to Egypt following the
military’s overthrow of its democratically elected government
and it’s deadly attack on protesters?
Every week we ask readers a question
they can reply to via e-mail. Send your
answers to
espangler@communitypress.com with
Chatroom in the subject line.

is best for them and not what is
best for the American people.
Period.”
J.Z.

“The Democrats yes, the Republicans no! Seriously, whether its health care or retirement,
government should not be allowed to vote its own members
and staff better benefits than
those available to the rest of the
population.
“A single term in congress
shouldn’t entitle you to anything
more than Cobra benefits while
you look for new employment.
If ex members of government
had to survive on Medicare or
Medicaid and Social Security
those would be good programs,
and yes, we all might have to
contribute a bit more to ensure
their long-term future.”
D.R.

“If these people are already
receiving a contribution from
the government (their employer) it should continue. If this
means they will not have to get
Obama-care like the rest of us –
shame on them!
“We should all be in this boat
together. That way if and when
it starts to sink they’ll have an
incentive to fix or replace it.”
R.V.

“Of course not! But this rodeo clown has set a new standard of picking winners and losers for political reasons, paybacks for contributors and favors to his base.
“Large corporations, unions
and the IRS and now lawmakers
are getting special exemptions
from this disasterous law. Most
hard working Americans are
not surprised by a good screwing from the federal government, but unfairness to this degree creates tremendous anger
and animosity.
“When is the last time you
said: ‘Wow, this will be great’
when you heard of a new law or
government program??”

FOREST HILLS

JOURNAL

listened to my concerns and
assured me that there are no
outstanding charges pending
against me or my wife. It was
definitely a scam to extract
money from me in the pretext
of a federal crime.
I also followed up with the
Hamilton County Sheriff’s
office and the person there
assured me that there was no
officer by the name of Rapidy
Watson in their office, and also
their batch numbers don’t go
that high. So clearly it was a
SCAM and I was lucky that I
did not end up paying the
crooks!!
Sugata Chakravarti is an Anderson
Township resident.

Tone down the rhetoric please

CH@TROOM
Last week’s question

This individual told me that if I
didn’t pay the amount the warrant would be executed and the
Hamilton County Sheriff’s
office would arrest me.
He even said that there
would be a look-out notice
issued against me and my wife
so that if I left the country I
would be caught at the airport.
By now I was convinced
that something wasn’t right,
and I refused to pay over the
phone. The gentleman said that
he would go ahead and execute
the warrant of arrest against
me.
The next morning Friday
July 12, I called up the IRS
office and spoke to an agent.
This lady at the IRS office

He told me that there is an
IRS warrant against me and
my wife for not paying an outstanding due of $3,761.45 in my
2010 tax return. A case was
registered against me by IRS
through their attorney, Mr.
Brad King.
I was asked to pay the
amount immediately (within
the next 30 minutes), otherwise
a warrant for my arrest would
be executed. I asked this gentleman to send me the papers
to see what IRS was talking
about. He told me that since
the case was in court, I had
less than 30 minutes to pay up.
However, I was adamant
and demanded that I see the
charges before paying a dime.

D.J.H.

A publication of

I wish he
had stayed
more on the
topic of our
teachers
being armed
in school.
Mr. Klein,
did you really
Dave
need to tear
DiGiovenale
COMMUNITY PRESS into some of
us just beGUEST COLUMNIST
cause we
voiced our opinions? Using
words like “blatant lies,”
ignorance and even calling
one of us a coward. Was this
really necessary?
You say you are from Anderson Township; most of us
around here don’t talk like
that. It kind of makes me
wonder ...
I could be wrong on all of

There are not many things
more dear to me than the
safety of our children, especially when they are in school
under the watch of our teachers. I have a granddaughter
in the third grade and her
safety is of utmost importance to me.
After reading Mr. Kleins
letter about myself and several other people making comments in the chatroom section last week it is evident to
me that Mr. Klein thinks only
his opinion is valid.
Mr. Klein talks about how
he has the right to have guns
and to use them if he sees
necessary. No one is going to
try to take your guns away
from you. I have guns and my
wife has her carry and conceal ... and she carries.

this – and I would be the last
to say I know everything –
but in my opinion Mrs. Jones,
who is 5 foot tall and weighs
100 pounds, has been trained
as a teacher, not a policewoman, and she should not be in
the school with a gun.
On top of that do you really
think teachers want that responsibility? I doubt it.
If you read Mr. Klein’s last
paragraph you can tell he is
getting really upset. It is
classic reading.
In closing, Mr. Klein, try to
tone down your rhetoric and
maybe quit watching so much
Doomsday Preppers.
Dave DiGiovenale is an Anderson
Township resident.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Is it really OK not to cut
backyard in Anderson?

I contacted Anderson Township
about high grass in someone’s
yard in reference to the law:
505.87 Abatement, control, or
removal of vegetation, garbage,
refuse, and other debris.
I was told that there is an “unwritten law” that allows people to
not mow their backyard if they so
desire.
I was curious how many people
have heard of this “unwritten law”
and what they think about it.

Jim Kammerer
Anderson Township

ABOUT LETTERS
AND COLUMNS
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Meets at 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month, except July and
August, at Ebersole Community Center,
5701 Kellogg Ave.
Council President Krystal Alsept; Vice
President Diana Weir; Secretary, David

Turpin High School will rely on a mix of passing and running from its spread offense to
move the ball and maintain the Spartans recent winning ways. MARK D. MOTZ/THE PRESS

ANDERSON TWP. — The
Spartans enter 2013 with a
target on their backs. Not
only did Turpin have a perfect 10-0 regular season
and win the inaugural
Eastern Cincinnati Conference in 2012, they won
two playoff games and advanced to the Division II
regional final.
“We approach it that
way with our kids,” said
head coach Rob Stoll. “As
defending
league
champs, everybody is going to be trying to knock
you off. I’d rather be under the radar a little bit,
but one of the best parts of
being part of a successful
program is that expectations are high and the kids
are working hard to live
up to that.”
Turpin graduated 23
players from last season
and has some holes to fill,
to be certain, but also has
some crucial players returning.
Offensively,
senior
tackles Yanni Gregg and
Tyler Ernst are back to anchor a line that will protect new junior quarterback Pat Fetch. His primary targets will be senior
wideout
Payton
Spencer and junior David
Eckert. Seniors Spencer
Singh and Dylan Hallar
return at running back.
“Our skill positions
have looked really good in

camp,” Stoll said. “I think
(Fetch) manages the offense really well. His key
to success is can he make
other people shine?”
Defensively, look for
Gregg and Ernst to team
with veterans Jacob
Beinke, Mitchell Farmer
and Hunter Tidball to
make a formidable front
line. Also back are senior
linebacker Jeff Weber
and defensive back Jake
Hambene. Hallar will
play linebacker, too.
Juniors Owen Carpenter and Andrew Molloy
shift to the defensive
backfield after primarily
playing running back last
season. Keep an eye on
freshman Lang Evans,
who could make an immediate impact at lineback-

“He’s one of those
dudes who has a motor
and is always going full
speed,” Stoll said.
Singh will handle most
of the punting duties for
Turpin, while sophomore
Austin Jackson will be the
place kicker.
Stoll is anxious to start
the season, but isn’t looking too far ahead.
“We haven’t looked beyond (opening opponent)
Withrow,”
he
said.
“They’ve been the focus
of our practice, of getting
ready for the season.”

MT. WASHINGTON — The
McNicholas Rockets football
team has been to the playoffs
two of the last three seasons.
Head coach Mike Orlando looks
for more of the same in 2013.
“We want a sustained success,” he said. “For us a 5-5 year
is a bad year. If we’re not out
here competing for games and
titles, we’re not where we want
to be as a program. It’s not going
to be easy.
“It’s not that we’re terribly
young, but we have some inexperience. We have to grow up
and become some leaders. This
senior class has not had a lot of
success on its own. I think they
were 0-for as freshmen and
didn’t have a winning record as
JVs. As juniors, they were in the
shadow of last year’s seniors.
It’s time for them to step up.”
Senior Bryan Corpuz leads
six returning starters on offense. Orlando said the 6-foot-4
lineman is a definite college
prospect. Also back up front are
senior guard Kent Schaeper, junior center Nate Gorman and
junior guard Will Allgeier. Junior tackle Zach Wood, a transfer student, rounds out the line.
They will protect a backfield
including junior quarterback
Luke Sulken, junior tailback
Sean Byrne and senior running
back Dom Gabriele. Receivers
include seniors Matt Curran
and Kevin Schmidt, as well as
junior Ted Tekulve.
“It’s no secret, we’re going to
try to make our way running the
football,” Orlando said. “We’re
going to be very up tempo, no
huddle. We want to run a play
every 15 seconds in real time
and keep defenses off balance.
But at the end of the day you

McNicholas High School head
football coach Mike Orlando
makes a point in the preseason.
MARK D. MOTZ/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

B2 • FOREST HILLS JOURNAL • AUGUST 21, 2013

Redskins looking to finish strong
By Mark D. Motz

mmotz@communitypress.com

Anderson High School switched its base defense from a 3-4 to a 3-3 stack to give players more freedom to
make plays in space. MARK D. MOTZ/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

AND — ERSON TWP. — People
don’t remember the start. It’s
the finish that matters. And for
the last few seasons of Anderson High School football, the
ending hasn’t been a fairy tale.
“We were 3-3 last year with
four games to go and we lost all
four of them,” said head coach
Jeff Giesting. “That’s one of our
points of emphasis this season:
Finish strong. Whether it’s an
individual play, a practice, a
game. We need to finish strong.”
The Redskins will look to a
veteran defense – although one
revamped to a 3-3 stack from
last year’s 3-4 scheme - to help
achieve that goal.
Returning is the team’s leading tackler from last season,
senior free safety Josh Correll.
Seniors Derek Mellenkamp and
Jared Forbes join him in the
secondary, as do senior cornerbacks T.J. Turner and Thomas
Campbell.
Senior captain Evan Lackner
leads a linebacking corps that
also includes senior Shelby Wilson and junior Cody Coffey. Up
front, 250-pound senior nose
guard Tim Combes will be
flanked by junior ends Augie
Murphy and Josh Knollman.
Offensively, Giesting said
senior quarterback Kevin Rogers should garner some Division I NCAA attention. He will
be protected by a veteran line
that features University of Toledo recruit Alex Pfeiffer, as
well as senior Evan Spangler
and junior center Jake Bridges.
Junior Austin Fucito mans the
tailback slot in the pistol offense.
Sophomores Ryan McCleland and Dylan Smith handle
the kicking and punting, respectively.
“We feel like we’ve improved
our team speed from last year,”
Giesting said. “We want to give

Anderson High School head coach
Jeff Giesting hopes to have the
Redskins back on the winning
side of the ledger in 2013.MARK D.
MOTZ/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

our play makers a chance to
make plays in space. But ultimately, we’ve got to be able to
close out and win games.”

MVCA Lions football makes next step
By Scott Springer
sspringer@communitypress.com

NEWTOWN — It’s not quite
“The Junction Boys” and Bear
Bryant, but you do have to cross
railroad tracks to get to Miami
Valley Christian Academy’s
practice field.
In his fourth year of building
MVCA’s football program, Robert Vilardo walks the plains of
Short Park in the village of
Newtown, whistle in hand.
“Newtown is awesome with
us,” Vilardo said. “They let us
use this whole park. They take
care of it for us. It’s just a great
relationship between the school
and Newtown.”
He would like to have indoor
facility of some sort, but for
now, a pair of meeting trailers
and a walk through the woods to
the makeshift gridiron will
have to suffice.
Having started MVCA football in 2010 with 16 kids, nine of
whom had never played, Vilardo knows building takes a great
deal of patience.
In the process of becoming a
full-fledged OHSAA competitor, MVCA will play similar
schools this season. They start
with Finneytown out of the Cincinnati Hills League.
“That’s a big game for us,”
Vilardo said. “We’ve never
played a team at this level.
We’re done with all of the nonOHSAA schools. This is our probation year. It’s is the direction
we’re going.”
In the past, the Lions could
draw athletes who attended other schools. While it helped their
overall numbers, outside participants are a thing of the past.
“If they’re on our team,
they’re a student at our school,”
Vilardo said.
That said, MVCA’s roster is
down from 35 to 25 kids out of a

school of 90.
They’ll scrimmage Lockland
and play in a league featuring
Riverview East, Gamble Montessori, Oyler, and Cincinnati
College Prep Academy
“We feel pretty confident we
can compete,” Vilardo said. “It’s
a good little league for us.
There’s some talent in those
schools.”
While MVCA is predominately a running team, Vilardo
was deciding on a quarterback
at presstime between seniors
Layne Cherry, Gavin Carson
and his sophomore son, Bransen
Vilardo.
“All three of those guys will
be on the field,” Vilardo said.
“Whichever one wins the quarterback position, the other two
will be on the field at receiver or

tight end.”
Running the ball for the Lions will be the trio of senior
Alex Dammerman, junior Jordan Conklin and sophomore
James Heaton.
MVCA’s best defender is 511, 250-pound Austin Privett.
Like most of the squad, he’ll be
on the field a lot. Joey Hallberg
is also a returning linebacker.
“Everybody has two positions obviously,” Vilardo said.
“The biggest thing with us, obviously with small numbers, is
injuries. I’ve got to be smart
coaching. We can’t just go out
there and beat each other up
and have guys sore on Friday
night.”
MVCA now plays mainly on
Fridays and uses Turpin and Anderson as their home field.

MVCA head coach Robert Vilardo will lead his team against all-OHSAA
competition for the first time in 2013. The Lions become full-fledged
OHSAA members in 2014. SCOTT SPRINGER/COMMUNITY PRESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

AUGUST 21, 2013 • FOREST HILLS JOURNAL • B3

Walnut Hills football
continues to build
By Scott Springer
sspringer@communitypress.com

2013 WALNUT HILLS
SCHEDULE

WALNUT HILLS — The Walnut

Hills High School Eagles have
had 5-5 records in three of the
last four seasons and would like
to get back to the playoffs as
they did two years ago. In 2011,
Walnut Hills had a historical
best year of 8-3.
Last year, some injuries and
youth took its toll. This fall,
head coach George Kontsis has
some experienced players to
mix in with a few who might
have to grow up quickly.
“Offensively, we have seven
starters returning,” Kontsis
said. “They’re all perimeter
skill guys. We’re going to have
to fill some gaps with some
sophomores as offensive linemen. We think they’re going to
be pretty good someday, but we
need them to be good now.”
With projected 2012 starting
quarterback Jake Desch injured last season, then-sophomore Kevin Blount was handed
the reins. In his first varsity
season, he was third in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in
passing with 948 yards. He also
was the team’s leading rusher
with 702 yards and nine touchdowns.
“He can run, he can pass, but
the thing about Kevin is he’s got
the ‘X factor’,” Kontsis said.
“He’s very confident, very
smart and makes things happen. He understands what our

Walnut Hills head coach George Kontsis gathers his troops at midfield during early season practice. SCOTT
SPRINGER/COMMUNITY PRESS

ONLINE EXTRAS
For early season video of
Walnut Hills go to
http://bit.ly/16Lpjtj

scheme is. He’s like an extended
coach on the field.”
After playing at around 180
pounds last season, Blount has
added another 20 pounds for durability.
The defensive side of the ball
features University of Louis-

ville commit Nilijah Ballew. Despite not playing all of 2012, Ballew has turned some heads.
“We made him a captain in
the offseason,” Kontsis said.
“He only played half the year
because he went down against
Kings with a foot injury. He’s
completely healthy now. He ran
a 4.42 40 at Ohio State and we
timed him out here at 4.48. He’ll
be one of the anchors of our defense.”
Also on the attack for the Eagles when they don’t have the

ball are Kyren Palmer, Mike Seliga and Jordan Fuller. All of the
Eagles are eyeing their Skyline
Chili Crosstown Showdown opponent, Sycamore.
“That would be a great win
for us,” Kontsis said. “They’re a
great GMC team. We took that
game to get better.”
After hosting Western Hills
and going to Fairfield, the Eagles look to improve last year’s
2-4 mark in the ECC.
“Everybody is strong and
getting stronger,” Kontsis said.

“Glen Este did a great job last
year. Anderson is Anderson.
Kings is always strong. Turpin
is Turpin. Milford’s getting better. Loveland has a new coach.
They were good last year and
are getting better. In 2014 the
league really gets better with
Withrow coming in.”

Clark football welcomes new
coach with familiar name
By Scott Springer

sspringer@communitypress.com

HYDE PARK — If you’re a fixture in high school coaching,
Clark Montessori is becoming a
common destination.
Recently, veteran Steve
Sheehan has led the Cougars,
before retiring and making
way for new head coach Joe
Berta.
Sheehan has since moved on
to Withrow to assist Jim Place,
but Berta didn’t waste much
time replacing the experience.
It probably was a number he
knew by heart as he reached
out to his father, Bob Berta. Bob
Berta started the Turpin High
School program and ran it for
27 years. Most recently, he was
defensive coordinator at McNicholas.
The younger Berta also
reached out to Ken Minor, the
Reading High School legend
who last coached at Wilmington
College.
Now, the 2001 Turpin graduate has the helm of the Clark
Cougars and a wealth of knowledge behind him.
“Having two guys around
that have done it is such a positive influence for me,” Berta
said. “I learn something every
day from them. It’s going to
help me down the road be a better head coach.”
Joe Berta was a Clark assistant the last four seasons and
also has assisted at Madeira.
He had 25-30 kids at workouts
through the summer and has
eight back on defense and seven on offense.
The 2013 Cougars have both
experience and experienced
youth.
“We started eight freshmen
last year,” Berta said. “Even

Clark’s Xavier Ferguson transferred from Sycamore and will sit five
games before becoming eligible to play for the Cougars. SCOTT

though the schemes and everything are new, football is not
new to these guys. We have seniors that are three-year starters. Six of them.”
The quarterback battle is between sophomore Mark Secen
and senior Lamont Ragan.

“He’s a raw athlete and can
throw the ball a little,” Berta
said of Ragan. “We want competition in every position we
have.”
Ragan is the smaller of the
two and returning tailback
Raeshawn Brown is another

SPRINGER/COMMUNITY PRESS

“mighty mite.”
“He’s a load,” Berta said.
“He’s about 5-foot-6, but his
legs are tree trunks.”
Clark has three returning offensive linemen getting some
college interest, so they’ll primarily be a running team. One

of those is Jordan Whaley-Watson.
Another possible college
prospect who could help midway through the season is Xavier Ferguson. The transfer from
Sycamore must sit the first five
games.
“He’s a big boy with leadership characteristics that you
just don’t come into a new
school and have,” Berta said.
“He’s definitely an inside backer. He’ll get fullback work, tailback work; he’s a football player. He was born to play football.”
With veterans Bob Berta and
Ken Minor getting to come out
and teach, Joe Berta is trying to
master organization, practice
plans and game strategy.
His first crack will come
Aug. 30 against Hughes. All
Clark home games are played
at Withrow High School.

SPRINGFIELD TWP. — Defenses better be prepared for
the bevy of offensive weapons
the St. Xavier Bombers are going to bring to the field in 2013.
Senior quarterback Nick
Tensing returns after throwing
for nearly 2,000 yards and 17
touchdowns to just six interceptions. Coach Steve Specht not
only loves what his quarterback
can do on the field, but also what
he brings to the
huddle.
“(I’ve seen)
tremendous
growth as far as
leadership is concerned,” Specht
said. “… He’s
able to do things
that we wouldn’t
J. Hilliard
be able to do with
anybody else. He’s really taken
to the leadership role.”
Tensing is one of four team
captains along with running
back C.J. Hilliard, left tackle
Rich Kurz and the versatile
Ryan Frey.
Hilliard torched defenses
for nearly five yards per carry
and nine touchdowns in 2012.
After hitting the weight room in
the offseason, defenses should
expect to see more of the big
back this season.
“… C.J. is practicing harder
than I’ve ever seen,” Specht
said. “He finally learned how to
practice. He’s at a different level than he’s been the previous
three years, but that’s how it’s
supposed to be when you’re going into your senior year.”
For the Tensing-Hilliard

St. Xavier running back C.J. Hilliard (8) runs the ball against Moeller in the second quarter of a 2011 contest.
Hilliard ran for more than 600 yards and nine touchdowns last season. JOSEPH FUQUA II/COMMUNITY PRESS

freight train to roll down hill, a
rebuilt offensive line is going to
have to come together. Kurz is
the lone returner and the rest of
the starters are still to be determined, according to Specht.
The defense is led by junior
linebacker Justin Hilliard, who
is one of the most recruited
players in the state of Ohio with
more than 20 offers from major
Division I colleges.
“… He is a different player
and he’s as advertised,” Specht
said. “There’s a reason he’s getting all these college scholar-

ship offers. I think Justin has
the chance to be as good as anybody we’ve ever had on the defensive side of the ball and
that’s high praise coming from
me.”
While the Bombers lose four
of their five starters in the defensive secondary, they return
six of their starting seven up
front at linebacker and defensive line.
Frey will hold down the cornerback position and see time
on the offensive side of the ball,
while Nick Carovillano will

move from the defensive line to
more of a hybrid outside linebacker.
The Bombers begin the season ranked No. 24 in the nation
by Rivals.com and, according to
MaxPreps, have the 10th-toughest schedule in the country.
Outside of playing their
league games in the Greater
Catholic League South, the
Bombers take on Colerain,
Cleveland St. Ignatius, Warren
Central (Indianapolis), Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) and Ben
Davis (Indianapolis).

St. Xavier quarterback Nick
Tensing looks to his left to find an
open receiver during their game
against Elder last season. The
senior tossed for more than 1,900
yards in 2012.TOM SKEEN/THE
COMMUNITY PRESS

Summit comes back
after creating history
By Mark D. Motz
mmotz@communitypress.com

HYDE PARK — Summit Country Day made school history in
2012, winning the football program’s first-ever playoff game
after a perfect 10-0 regular season.
The Silver Knights won a Miami Valley Conference championship in a league that also sent
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and North College Hill to
the playoffs.
Cincinnati Enquirer coach of
the year Mike Brown returns a
good number of starters from
that team and looks for more
success in 2013.
“(We have a) strong senior
class with great leadership and
hard workers,” Brown said.
“(This is the) third year in a row
with the same coaching staff, so
familiarity by the players with
our philosophy is really starting
to show.”
Summit returns seven starters on offense, including 6foot-2 senior quarterback Antonio Woods, the reigning MVC
player of the year. Woods is
weighing NCAA Division I
scholarship offers in both football and basketball. Woods
threw for more than 900 yards
as a junior while running for
more than 800 more.
Indiana University recruit
Michael Barwick Jr. - at 6foot-3, 300 pounds - anchors the
offensive line charged with protecting Woods. Senior Daniel
Bruns, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound
tight end, was one of the top five
receivers in the MVC last season, and should be a prime target again this season.
Summit returns six starters

2013 SUMMIT
COUNTRY DAY
SCHEDULE

Summit Country Day School
senior Gage Goodwin runs during
the first day of football practice,
Monday, Aug. 5.AMANDA
DAVIDSON/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

Summit Country Day School senior Daniel Bruns, left, blocks during the
first day of football practice, Aug. 5. AMANDA DAVIDSON/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

on defense, including Woods in
the secondary, Bruns as a defensive end and Barwick as an interior lineman.
Junior C.J. Suggs (34.8 yards
per kick return as a sophomore)
and senior Gage Goodwin (21)
bring some sizzle to special
teams. Junior Cole Bush averaged 31 yards as a punter last

season.
Brown said new starters will
have to grow up fast.
“Replacing the six seniors
(who graduated) - three of
whom were two-way starters
and all six started at least on one
side of the ball and gave significant minutes on both sides - will
be key for us,” he said.

Summit Country Day School seniors Michael Barwick and Antonio
Woods take part in the school’s first day of practice, Monday, Aug. 5.
AMANDA DAVIDSON/THE COMMUNITY PRESS

SPORTS & RECREATION

AUGUST 21, 2013 • FOREST HILLS JOURNAL • B5

Nagel’s Bohenek
logs 4 school
records

During the recently completed track and field season,
eighth-grader Luke Bohenek
put his name in the Nagel Middle School record book, not
once, but four times.
He set the following records
in individual events:
» 110 meter hurdles, 16.13
seconds, set at ECC Championships after breaking old record
at Loveland Invitational (previous record held by David Pinney, 2001).
» 100 meter dash, 11.50, set at
Loveland Invitational (previous
record: Jon Denman, 2005).
» 200 meter hurdles, 26.72,
set at Loveland Invitational
(previous record held jointly:
Adam Seibert, 2000; Kevin
Hamilton, 2006; Charlie Ronan,
2009).
Luke was also a member of a
record-setting relay team:
» 4x200 meter relay (team
members: Evan Ruff, Austin
Bryan, Jacob Lynn, Luke Bohe-

Nagel eighth-grader Luke
Bohenek put his name in the
Nagel track record book four
times. THANKS TO STEVEN ZIMMERMAN

The Turpin and Anderson
high schools volleyball teams
are once again taking to the
court for an important cause –
raising awareness about breast
cancer and raising funds for research.
Turpin High School is hosting this year’s Turpin vs. Anderson Volley for the Cure.
Game times are: Tuesday,
Sept. 10 - freshmen, 4:30 p.m.;
JV, 5:45 p.m.; and varsity, 7 p.m.
Volley for the Cure T-shirts

GETTING THE GRIFFIN

will be sold for $6. All wearing a
Volley for the Cure t-shirt will
receive free admission to the
games. The shirts are available
during lunch periods at both
Turpin and Anderson high
schools and at their home football games on Friday, Sept. 6. In
addition, they will be available
at the Sept. 10 Volley for the
Cure game. A raffle, split-thepot, bake sale and survivor recognition will be conducted prior
to the start of the varsity game.
All proceeds from the event will
go to Komen for the Cure Cincinnati.

Nagel Middle School students Drew Spencer, left, and Grace Hamilton, right, are the recipients of the
Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award. They were chosen by the
Nagel coaching staff. The award, named for the two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, is
presented each year to a male and female student who have been outstanding in their efforts to
promote sportsmanship in their school and community. The Ohio High School Athletic Association
actively supports good sportsmanship among the youth and adults in our schools and workplaces.
Spencer and Hamilton are pictured with Nagel Athletic Director Steve Zimmerman, who presented the
students with their awards during a school assembly May 29. THANKS TO STEVEN ZIMMERMAN

SPORTS BRIEFS
McNick athlete
participated in showcase

Glen Este High School’s
Hannah Dufresne scored the
game’s only goal early in the
second half to lead her team to a
1-0 win in the Quatman Cafe
Pre-season Soccer Showcase
played at Mason High School,

July 20.
A total of 44 players from 33
area high schools were named
to the two showcase squads.
Other local Clermont County players participating included Glen Este’s Jessie Goedde,
Carrie Smith (Fayetteville),
Stephany Brannock (BethelTate), Alexis Burdick (McNi-

cholas), Nicole Glancy (Clermont Northeastern), Sam Parker (Blanchester), along with
New Richmond’s Emily Barcheski and Jill Flenniken,
Regular season high school
play will commence in mid-August.

Summit’s Crowl left mark on program
Summit Country Day
senior lefthander Tommy
Crowl augmented his resume as one of the finest
all-around players to don
a Silver Knights uniform
as he was named firstteam All-State by the Ohio
High School Baseball
Coaches Association.
Crowl, a resident of
Newtown, left his mark on
The Summit baseball program with a stellar senior
campaign in which he finished 6-2 with one of the
lowest ERA’s in school
history at 0.84.
He was third in the

MVC in strikeouts and
hurled eight complete
games, including a no-hitter, and four shutouts for
the district champion Silver Knights. From the
plate, Crowl hit a .420 average, smashing four
homers and driving in 27
RBI.
“Tommy put together a
complete season on the
mound, at the plate and in
the field,” said Summit
Baseball Head Coach
Triffon Callos. “He helped
lead our team to the regional tournament with
his postseason success on

the mound, and he exemplifies all of the characteristics of a true leader—both on and off the
field.”
For his career, Tommy
was 16-4 on the mound
with an ERA of 1.57 and
158 strikeouts. He hit for a
.380 career average and
63 RBI. He will continue
his career on the diamond
at Marietta College next
season.
He is interested in the
leadership program at
Marietta and would like to
pursuit studies in business with the possibility

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of teaching at the secondary level.
“Tommy is the best
pitcher that I have
coached in my nine seasons at Summit. His career numbers as a pitcher
are incredible and he was
one of the city’s best hitters in Division III,” said
Coach Callos. “He is a college-level first baseman
who has great defensive
skills, and I look forward
to watching Tommy at
Marietta College.”

Summit
Country
Day senior
pitcher
Tommy
Crowl is on
the
first-team
All-State
team.
THANKS TO
NANCY BERLIER

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Six Nagel spring athletes are recognized for outstanding sportsmanship. All of the
recipients were selected by their respective team mates for regular displays of
sportsmanship and fair play, respect towards opponents and officials , and leadership
by example. Nagel Principal Natasha Adams presented the students with a certificate
recognizing their accomplishment. In front are Jadyn Thompson (Silver softball), Jane
Armstrong (Blue softball), Natasha Adams, principal. In back are Erica Langan (track
and field), Grace Hamilton (track snd field), Maxwell Brodbeck (track and field),
Harrison Hill (track and field). THANKS TO STEVEN ZIMMERMAN

PRESS PREPS HIGHLIGHTS
Correction

The Aug. 14 edition of
the Forest Hills Journal
misidentified
Turpin
High School boys soccer
tri-captain Josh McDonald, erroneously identifying him in a photograph
and the story as teammate
Josh McDaniel.

Tennis

When your community goes to vote on November 5, will
they remember you and your story? Make sure they do

» McNicholas High
School opened the season
Aug. 13 with a 3-2 win
against Little Miami. The
Rockets got wins at first
and second second singles
from Katie St. Clair and
Madison Hartwell, respectively, and wrapped
up the match with a win at
second doubles.
McNick improved to
2-0 on the young season
Aug. 14 with a 4-1 victory
against Hamilton and fell
to 2-1 Aug. 15 after losing
5-0 against league rival
Kettrering Alter.
» Walnut Hills shut out
Anderson 5-0 on Aug. 14.
Sweeping singles were
freshman Lily O’Toole,
sophomore Megan Burke
and junior Katherine
Hanley.
The Lady Eagles beat
Sycamore’s “B” squad 3-2
on Aug. 15. O’Toole and
Burke won in singles.

» Turpin High School’s
Corey Flynn took medalist honors at the Fairfield
Invitational Aug. 14.
He shot an even-par
round of 70 at Fairfield
Greens to win by a stroke
over Jack Ford of Springboro. The Panthers took
team honors with a score
of 298.
The Spartans finished
tied for 11th with Hamilton Badin in the team
standings
with
332
strokes. Anderson was
right at their heels at 335.
» Walnut Hills beat

Amelia by 18 strokes Aug.
12. Co-medalists for the
Eagles were Julian Shockley and Eric Emanuel with
41s at Reeves Golf Course.

World Dwarf Games

Turpin High School’s
Jake Vanderloo, featured
in the July 24 edition of
the Journal, returned
from the World Dwarf
Games at Michigan State

University with five medals.
He took individual
bronze in each of his three
swimming events, as well
as a team bronze in soccer.
His basketball team did
not advance to the medal
round, but Vanderloo was
a late addition to a floor
hockey team that won
gold.

GOING OUT ON TOP

Recent Anderson High School graduate Sean Batt
concludes his high school experience June 8 with a
podium finish at the state track meet. Batt took
eighth place in the 800 meter and set a new school
record with a time of 1:54.32. The record broken by
Batt was set in 1974 by Reed Redmond. THANKS TO SHEILA
VILVENS

ECK Worship Service
Jeffrey and Laurel Bauer
of Cincinnati announce
the engagement of their
son, Christopher Birch Bauer, to Melissa Marie
Myers, daughter of JoAnn
and Dennis Myers of Lorain, Ohio.
The future bride graduated from Xavier University
with a BS in accounting
and is a Certified Public
Accountant. She is a tax
senior at Ernst & Young.
The future groom received a BS in finance and
marketing from Xavier
University and is a category development account
executive at Procter and
Gamble.
A November 2013 wedding is planned and the
couple will live in Cincinnati.

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